


We Bought a Baby

by Kca1516



Series: Wintersoldier Steve [10]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Baby Peter Parker, Banter, Crack, Family Feels, M/M, Protective Steve Rogers, Protectiveness, Steve Rogers as the Winter Soldier, Superfamily, Teasing, This Is STUPID
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2020-11-08 12:48:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20835719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kca1516/pseuds/Kca1516
Summary: Basically this is a two part story where Peter gets hit by an age regression alien beam (because why wouldn't he get hit by an age regression alien beam) and Tony and Steve take care of him until the effects wear off. Also Steve is rlly protective of his boo and his baby while also fighting with the fear that he is a monster that they should both stay far away from bc I can't write anything that doesn't have angst in it. (the title is a play on the movie "We Bought a Zoo" i am so sorry)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is NOT THE MOST WELL WRITTEN THING IVE EVER POSTED YES I AM AWARE however its a fun little drabble type thing that isn't supposed to be the most in depth and well expressed thing ive ever written hope you enjoy anyway

A fiery explosion ripped through Manhattan, sending brick and concrete flying in all directions.

Taking Steve with it.

The super soldier had been in the middle of a confrontation with an alien creature when the wave of force sent him, and his opponent, flying backwards. Steve’s body clashed against the rocky ground with a jolt, but besides the air being forced from his lungs, he was ok.

“Hit the ground!” Bucky shouted in Steve’s ear.

The super soldier grumbled as he picked himself up from the splintered pavement, the world spinning around him.

“A little late on that one, Cap,” Tony snarked through the earpiece, saying what they were all thinking. The knot in Steve’s chest eased. Even just the sound of his lover’s voice sent waves of calm through him.

“Doll, you okay,” Steve managed to say into the mic, not able to spot Tony’s suit circling amidst his spinning vision.

“Thanks for asking about the rest of us,” said Clint through the coms, though Steve could already spot him back on his feet and letting fly his own explosive arrows to counter the previous attack, “It really shows you care, Steve.”

Before Steve could even think of a coherent reply, Tony was one step ahead of him.

“Well, Clint,” the genius said, right as Steve finally caught sight of his telltale red and gold suit breaking through the clouds like a beacon of hope, “the rest of you don’t suck his-”

“Whoa, whoa!” Peter yelled in all their ears.

“-like I do, so no, why would he think to ask if you’re okay?”

Steve ran an exasperated hand down his face. 

“Nice, Tony,” he didn’t have the luxury of commenting on the chatter further as he got back in the thick of things. 

“There are children present,” Peter spoke through the coms again, and Steve was able to pick out the kid swinging from the rooftops, seemingly unharmed, again relief eased his tangled heart.

“You okay, kid?” Steve gruffly asked as he started to engage with whatever monstrosity had the unfortunate luck of running into him first.

“Besides needing to bleach my ears after this, all good Mr. Soldier, sir,” came Peter’s too chipper response.

Steve used his metal hand to reach into the creatures mouth and pull out its tongue. The things screech was almost enough to block out Peter’s previous response. Steve dropped the wriggling piece of flesh from his grip and roundhoused the creature in the head before stabbing a dagger through its gut. The monster gave a pained jerk before falling still.

“Wow, that was awesome.”

Instead of hearing Peter’s muffled sounds through his earpiece, the kid’s voice was crisp and clear. Steve’s head jerked up to find the awestruck lines of Spiderman’s mask in front of him, and in turn Peter Parker.

Steve’s heart clenched.

He had never met someone who wasn’t afraid of him.

Okay, that was a lie.

He had Tony.

Wonderful, brave, selfless Tony who he loved more than life itself, and who never judged him on his worst mistakes.

Even Bucky, as much as Steve loved his best friend, still would look at him with pity in his eyes.

The recurring reaction was one of the reasons Steve was so hesitant to socialize outside of their group. Even the people who considered him family were wary of him at times, whether they were aware of it or not. How could he expect strangers to show the same amount of compassion when they had no emotional ties to him?

No, Steve had Tony and his team, he didn’t need anyone else. And then Peter came along.

Peter Parker the overly optimistic, yet capable, kid from Queens who could talk your ear off but listened with vigor. The kid who only wanted to see the good in people, even when they showed him their worst. The kid that so innocently just wanted to hang out with the girl he liked and have a good time without all of the super hero crap weighing him down. The kid that Tony Stark had brought home two months ago and who Steve had all but adopted at this point.

Steve had a protective flare when it came to Peter. He never thought he would feel such an intense emotion for anyone but Tony until it had crashed into him like the smell of the Hudson River when you passed by its bank. 

The kid represented everything good, and wholesome humanity had to offer the world. He represented the future. A future with no bigotry or hatred or unlawful judgment made by people who corrupted their government even now. Peter Parker was good, and Steve would be damned if he let that goodness fade.

So he did what he did best, he took on the responsibility of safeguarding the kid. Tony and him had welcomed Peter into their little family with open arms.

Well, it hadn’t exactly been that easy.

When Tony had first coerced Steve into meeting the kid, he was trepidacious. Here was a new person that would come into his life and judge him on a past he had no control over. Steve hadn’t been sure if he wanted to put himself through that. Then he had met the kid. The immediate thing Peter had done when he was introduced to Steve was make a beeline for Steve’s arm.

At first, the soldier was hesitant and on guard, waiting for the kid to freak out and run out of the building screaming. But Peter had surprised him. The kid had been enamored by his arm. He had asked so politely if he could touch it, then continued on a tangent of how cool he thought it was and how awesome Steve and his super powers were.

The kid was awestruck. 

Steve had a soft spot for him ever since.

But as much as Steve loved Peter, the super soldier was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It was moments like these when Peter was staring at him, wide eyed, as the soldier hovered over the maimed and bloody body of one of his kills that made him nervous. Steve waited with bated breath, expecting the kid to stumble away from the super soldier like he was contaminated. 

Except the more he waited, the more he was proved wrong.

“That was so cool, Mr. Winter, sir,” Peter said again, Steve couldn’t see his face due to the mask but he could hear the wonder in the boy’s voice and knew he was genuinely impressed. Steve lips tilted towards a smile.

“Peter,” Tony’s voice came in through the coms, the sarcastic lilt doing funny things to Steve’s heart, “you better not be starstruck. You’re only allowed to be amazed if I’m in your presence, understand, young man?”

Even through the mask Steve could see the boy’s grin.

“Took him long enough to realize I was cooler than you,” Steve spoke both to the boy in front of him and to his lover in the sky. His own grin made an appearance when he heard Tony spluttering over the line.

“I made a mistake the day I taught you the use of sarcasm,” the genius finally got out, and Steve barked out a laugh.

The soldier swung his arms over Peter’s shoulders and hauled the two of them closer to where the last of the alien beasts were being killed off by the rest of the Avengers.

“Darling, you didn’t teach me anything, I’m just that charming,” Steve said, wishing he could see the blush that colored Tony’s face, knowing the exact place it would finally fade away.

“Don’t worry Mr. Stark,” Peter interjected, making to please his favorite of the bunch, “you’ll always be the best in my book.”

“Hear that,” Tony said, giddily, and a groan sounded from the rest of the team, “the kid thinks I’m the best.”

“The kid is so far up your ass he doesn’t know which way goes out,” came Barton’s voice in a form of reply.

Steve was about to scold the archer for using such language around Peter, and in turn stop the just as scandalous retort Tony was bound to come up with to retaliate, when Bucky cut through the noise.

“Guys,” he said, panting, “as thrilling as this banter is, I wasn’t kidding when I said to hit the ground. Thor just gave word that the creatures activated a countdown. Something’s about to rain down on us and we don’t know what it is, take cover!”

The warning had barely come across Steve’s earpiece when the attack started.

Gold beams of light shot out from the dark blip in the sky like angry sun beams, and one of them made straight for Peter. 

Steve barely had enough time to process the phenomenon before him, never mind react coherently. By the time he could have done something to prevent the following events, it was too late. A screeching beam of heat connected with Peter.

“No!” Steve shouted, grabbing for Peter to get out of the line of fire, but there was nothing he could do.

Dead weight hung in the soldier’s arms.

Not letting another second go to waste, Steve gripped Peter’s body close and made for the nearby park. He dodged and outran each flash of light that sliced through the sky, barely reaching the cover of the trees before a ray would have hit him, too.

It was only when he knew they were safe from the blasts that Steve let fear into his heart.

Peter had been hit, and he hadn’t moved since. 

The soldier had a vice grip on the boy, feeling only the smallest amount of relief when he saw the kid’s chest moving up and down. It was nothing compared to the guilt.

This was his fault. If Steve hadn’t let himself get distracted he would have been able to get Peter out of the way in time. It should have been him instead.

Steve didn’t want to look down. 

He didn’t know if he could bare to find a searing hole had torn through Peter’s suit and skin, leaving his organs to all but fall out of his body. 

Yes, the boy was breathing, but for how long? 

Except, something was happening, something that Steve couldn’t wrap his head around.

Peter was shrinking.

He could feel in his arms the weight of a sixteen year old boy growing smaller and smaller until he was afraid he was about to disappear out of existence.

It was almost worse when the reduction stopped. 

A cry fell from the bundle in his arms.

Shit.

Finally, Steve forced himself to look down at what now resided in his arms. It took a moment of fishing Peter out of his suddenly baggy suit to finally pin him down, but at last, Steve came to reveal the soft innocence of a crying baby cocooned in his hold.

Not any crying baby, but Peter as a crying baby. 

As much as Steve should have been freaking out by this turn of events, he wasn’t. Any panic that could have set in was pushed away by the unignorable need to protect.

As if he had known how to his whole life, Steve arranged his arms so he could support Peter, wrapping the excess suit around the baby like a blanket.

He gently rocked Peter back and forth in his arms cooing at him softly until the babies screaming died down.

“You’re safe,” Steve found himself saying as he gazed into the child’s wide, trusting eyes, “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. I’m going to fix this, Peter, I promise.”

Steve was torn out of his own little world when the sound of metal boots hitting the ground made him look up.

The faceplate came up as Tony made his way towards his partner, eyes going wide when he saw who was in Steve’s arms.

“Is that-”

“Yes,” Steve answered, making his way to Tony so he could see clearer. The soldier tilted his arms so Tony could look at the resting newborn in his arms. A mix of emotions crossed the man’s face.

“Can I- can I hold him?” Tony asked, already reaching to tenderly pick the babe up. 

Steve’s heart melted to a puddle.

He knew there were important things going on, and the fear that Peter might stay a baby forever weighed on them, but something in his head clicked into place at seeing Tony holding the child. 

The genius was in awe, and Peter clung to his suit like he knew he was home.

Tony brought the baby up until their noses touched and smiled when Peter bubbled out a laugh.

“Hi, kid,” Tony said, and Steve saw the tears filling his eyes.

Steve found himself embracing the two, shielding them and the private moment from any left over danger. Tony and the baby melted into the hold, knowing they would be safe.

Steve wouldn’t have allowed it any other way.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per usual I wrote and "edited" this all in one go. Editing means I literally read over it once, this also means I will go back and re-edit it just not tonight, tonight I just wanted to post something so thank you for reading and if you could spare me the technical comments about spelling and that shit it would be appreciated.  
Thanks for reading  
edited: 12/12/19

“Backup, I need backup now!”

A second pair of hands were instantly at his side.

“It’s okay, Steve, I’m here. You’re doing great,” Tony promised.

Steve huffed out a disbelieving laugh, but the inhalation stung in ways that rivaled toxic gases from a battlefield long since fought.

“Damnit, I can barely breathe,” Steve said, reaching desperately for the next tool in his arsenal. 

He wasn’t one to back down from a challenge, whether his vision was swimming or not.

“You’re almost there, you just have to hold out for a second longer,” Tony said, hands resting gently on his soldier’s sides in a silent sign of support. 

Tony knew Steve needed to do this for himself, though he had called for assurance, he hadn’t yet asked Tony to take over the task for him.

Tony knew Steve wouldn’t shy away from this responsibility.

With the last clasp of velcro freshly secured, Steve issued his next order.

“Tongs.”

Tony wasted no time reaching for the item in question and handing it to the soldier. 

Donning an expression Tony had only seen replicated in the midst of a harrowing fight, Steve rushed to the garbage shoot.

An echoing bang reverberated in their ears as the shoot door was shut, the ability to breath was once again in their reach. 

Steve had officially changed his first dirty diaper. 

“Challenger destroyed!” Tony yelled, noticing the pride written clearly across Steve’s face.

Peter gurgled out a bubble of spit and a bright smile, his arms were flailing as he had a good laugh at the expense of his temporary super fathers. Yet, Tony didn’t mind the obvious taunting and he was helpless to resist the happy child on the changing table. With an audible swoosh, Tony picked Peter up and bounced him in the air only once before cradling the child in the nook of his arm.

His efforts earned him a delighted squeal and a poorly coordinated hand clap that almost took a chunk of Tony’s nose.

“Woah, there my little spider,” Tony said, giving Peter his hand to grab onto instead of his facial appendages, “you’re just as volatile in this form as you are in any other.”

But the genius couldn’t even pretend to be cross with the baby, it would be the worst lie he had ever tried to sell. He was far too easy to see through, especially when Peter, with all the unassuming innocence in the world, took the knuckle of Tony’s thumb and started sucking on it in ways of apology.

Tony melted. Anyone could see Peter had him wrapped around his little, pudgy fingers, and Tony didn’t care to deny it.

But it wasn’t just Tony who Peter had in the palm of his hand, oh no, Steve bent over backwards for that boy. 

Even when he quarantined himself to the farthest corner in the room.

“For the thousandth time, you are not going to hurt him,” Tony said, still looking at Peter’s wide, hazel eyes though Steve could never escape his notice completely. The man in question still had the tong in hand, blissfully watching Tony interact with Peter. However, Tony knew for a fact that Steve would rather be over here with them enjoying the moment as well.

“For the thousandth time, you don’t know that and I’m not risking his safety or yours,” Steve said, though Tony did break him out of his trance enough for the soldier to come over and place a quick kiss to the top of Tony’s head before moving to clean away the wipes and powder on the table.

Tony didn’t miss how Steve’s eyes lingered on Peter, as if cataloging his reactions simply to triple check that the babe was happy.

Tony’s heart twinged in sympathy.

The two new parental guardians had immediately gone to Thor when Peter had been turned, hoping the Asgardian would have information on the aliens that had attacked them and the spell they had placed on Peter.

When Thor first realized what had happened to Peter his face had fallen, but he quickly assured Tony and Steve that he had seen this kind of thing before.

Thor had fought the creatures they had encountered many years ago, and they had used this exact spell that time, too. Thor explained that the de-aging spell was used to make a fool out of one's enemies; it stripped away the warriors ability to care for themselves and made their army a laughing stock. A baby’s face did little to strike fear in any opponent. 

A comrade of Thor’s had been hit with the spell once, the Asgardian visibly flinched, he had apparently  _ not  _ been a nice baby to take care of.

Tony had cut in when his patience started to wear thin. He didn’t care about listening to another one of Thor’s elaborate tales despite the fact that he normally found them entertaining. He needed to know if Peter was going to be stuck in the body of a newborn, if memories of his past life would creep up on him as he grew, or if he would ever regain the powers he had as a teenager.

Steve had placed a grounding hand on Tony’s shoulder, but for once it did little to calm him. If Peter was stuck as a baby it was Tony’s fault. Tony had been the one to bring him into this life in the first place.

But Thor eventually eased Tony’s fears. The god had laughed away Tony’s worry, promising that Peter would be back to normal in one weeks time.

Tony could still recall the abundant relief that flowed through him, and he had backed up into Steve for extra support.

Peter would be ok, in one week everything would be back to normal. Tony could handle one week.

As a team, they had decided to keep this information from Peter’s Aunt May. Instead they had Natasha visit her personally to drop off the news that Peter would be at a training workshop for Stark Industries all week and that he wouldn’t be able to call. May had taken the news well seeing as situations of this manner had arisen before, whether it was Peter had wiggled his way into a mission or was recovering from one, sometimes he needed an excuse not to be around his Aunt and Tony was happy to provide shelter.

However, none of this had prepared Tony for Steve’s reaction to the entire ordeal.

As previously stated, the soldier was just as infatuated with child!Peter as he was with teenage!Peter and Tony didn’t doubt for a second that Steve would sacrifice himself to any torture in order to protect the babe, but something was off.

Steve was afraid.

Tony saw it in his eyes. Steve would be watching Tony eat with, play with, or sleep with Peter and he couldn’t suppress the longing he felt to join them, but fear was keeping him away.

After seeing Steve hold Peter so tenderly in the park, Tony would have thought Steve would have realized how good he was with the baby. How much Peter needed him. 

But as soon as the three had been out of initial danger, Steve had removed himself from the child, though it clearly pained him, and had kept his distance ever since.

It was why Tony had forced Steve to try changing Peter’s dirty diaper alone for the first time. Tony needed Steve to see that he was capable of taking care of Peter, more importantly he was good at it. He wasn’t going to hurt Peter, and Peter needed him to realize it. Whether it was because Steve and Tony were the first people he had seen, or if even as a baby Peter remembered the relationship he had with the superheroes, Tony didn’t know. But Peter had latched onto the two of them immediately, and Tony could tell the distance from Steve was taking a toll on the kid the same way it was taking a toll on the super soldier.

“Mhua?” Peter gurgled petulantly, when he finally realized Tony’s full attention was not on him. Tony smiled, eyes flashing to Steve’s back one more time before cooing at Peter and exiting the room.

“You’re right, kid,” Tony said, answering the child as if he had spoken anything other then gibberish, “What are we going to do with him?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Life wasn’t fair.

Steve figured if anyone was allowed to say that it was him, but it wouldn’t be for the reasons anyone expected it to be.

It started when Steve stepped into the heated tower and out of the blizzarding cold streets of New York. 

Tony had asked him to run to the store to grab some more baby formula before a big winter storm hit while Tony put the baby in question to bed. Even though Tony had asked, Steve could see that he felt bad for sending Steve out in the cold when they he knew the soldier would rather be putting Peter to bed with him. But they both knew that they needed more formula and Steve still wouldn't let himself near the baby.

Steve assured Tony over and over again that he didn’t mind braving the cold, but Steve knew Tony didn’t believe him. Even though it was the truth. Steve didn’t mind in the slightest, in fact he longed for tasks like these to be given to him. He wouldn’t let himself hurt Peter, but he still longed to take care of the boy. Going out and getting him more food let Steve feel like he was doing something for the boy, taking care of him in the only ways he allowed himself too.

He wouldn’t hurt that kid. He had already failed Peter by allowing him to get hit by the stupid de-aging ray, he refused to add any more guilts to that list.

Steve had only just shed his coat, now heavy with melting snowflakes, when groaning from the kitchen caught his attention. 

“Looks like another sleepless night,” Steve heard Bucky say, a moan followed.

“The kid was fine the first few nights, why all of a sudden is he screaming his fucking head off,” Clint said, anger crept up Steve’s spine. They were talking about Peter.

“All kids are different, Tony’s just trying to find the right method to calm him down,” came Natasha’s voice of reason.

“Well if he could try faster I’d appreciate it,” Thor grunted, voice heavy with fresh sleep.

Peter screamed from upstairs.

They all groaned.

“I love the kid, but if he keeps screaming I swear to god-”

“Hi, Steve,” Bruce cut Clint off in the nic of time. Steve toed off his dripping snow boots and made for the fridge.

Bruce, Clint, Thor, Bucky, and Natasha were all in the kitchen, warm mugs of cocoa cradled in the hands, bags drooping under their red rimmed eyes, hair all tangled in knots.

“Hi, Bruce,” Steve replied not calling any of them out on their appearance, even though Steve knew why they were all down here.

He started unpacking the plastic bag full of baby formula, food, and a few baby toys Steve couldn't resist buying. Maybe some of Tony’s reckless spending was beginning to rub off on him. Steve couldn’t find it in him to care. If it made his kid happy, anything was worth it.

Steve pushed away the truth of the matter which was Peter was not his baby at all.

“Hi, Steve,” said Bucky next, gauging to see how much of the conversation Steve had heard. 

“Hi, Bucky,” Steve replied. Oh, he was going to make them sweat.

He finished unloading the baby cargo and moved on to some of the provisions he had picked up for the rest of his team. He could feel the cringe of guilt behind him as he continued to unload his friends favorite foods and reveled in their misery.

“Hello, Natasha,” he said pulling out her favorite microwavable popcorn. The kind they almost never had in stock. The kind he bought extra’s of whenever he saw they were available.

“Hello, Steve,” she replied, trying to mask her indifference, and for the first time that Steve had known her, failed.

“Hello, Thor,” he said putting a giant ham in the fridge to cook later.

“Hello my friend,” Thor said, for once his boisterous voice was muffled as he quickly took a sip of cocoa that was too hot.

Lastly, was Clint who didn’t seem to catch the tension in the room or the fact that Steve was one step away from giving him a black eye. Yes, Peter was crying, it had started two nights ago. 

Whenever Tony tried to put Peter to bed, the kid would burst into tears that would last for hours until he wore himself out and passed out. Steve knew it was hard on his team who all worked long days. But if they thought taking care of a baby was any easier he was going to do something he regretted. He saw how hard Tony worked to keep Peter happy. Tony had to be two parents in one. If the team thought they could complain by saying Tony wasn’t doing a good enough job, Steve was going to be out for blood.

“Hey, Steve,” Clint said, belligerent in a way they all knew was only due to his lack of sleep, “did you get Pete the kind of formula that knocks him out because that would be-”

The team wasn’t able to stop either one of them before Steve took the cocoa warming Clint’s hands and threw it across the room, finally clueing Clint into the fact that he had fucked up.

“You’re a second away from  _ me  _ knocking you out so pick your next words carefully,” Steve growled, fury boiling up inside of him. It wasn’t just the physical wounds Steve had sworn to protect his family from, it was the emotional ones, too.

Steve was pretty sure Clint was too tired to even answer him properly, but he was saved from replying nonetheless as Peter gave out another heart wrenching wail.

Steve couldn’t ignore it, and he wouldn’t leave Tony to handle it all on his own.

Leaving his friends in the kitchen he hightailed it to his bedroom, realizing at once why the team had all huddled in the dining area. 

It was the quietest area of the building.

Peter’s cries seemed to bounce off every available surface and dig themselves deep in his ears until his brain was ringing with it. But it only proved to worry him.

When Steve got to the bedroom he didn’t hesitate to burst through the door, but that was as far as he got. His heart stopped, and so did his body.

This was why Steve’s life was so goddamn unfair.

Bouncing the crying child in his arms, Tony stood shirtless in the center of the room, pacing, and pleading with Peter to calm down. Steve was relieved to see that Peter wasn’t fighting Tony but was burying himself in the warmth of Tony’s chest, tears and snot glistening on the man’s tanned skin.

“Please Peter, work with me,” Tony said, desperately, not realizing Steve had entered the room being so caught up in the babies screams, “I know you want Steve, I know that’s who you want right now but he’s not here. He’s so afraid to hurt you, baby. He loves you so much, Peter Parker. He would do anything for you, he just doesn’t realize that his protective measures are doing more harm than good.”

As if in answer to Tony’s sleep deprived rambling, Peter screamed. Tiny hands tanged themselves in Tony’s hair, trying to find some sort of comfort. And Tony, poor Tony finally let out a small sob in return. He was so tired, and Steve knew what he had to do.

Closing the door behind him with a soft click, Steve gingerly walked up to Tony. He knew by now that Tony knew he was there, but the genius didn’t turn around. Steve reached out a trembling hand softly tracing the side of Tony’s body.

“We need you, Steve,” Tony said, and Steve couldn’t have resisted him if he wanted to. Pushing down his fear, and the voice in his head telling him he wasn’t good for either Peter or Tony, Steve enveloped his family.

Tony immediately sagged against him, turning so Peter was cradled between them. Steve’s heart all but burst with the knowledge that Tony trusted him to not only hold him up, but the baby as well. All he wanted to do was protect them, he needed to get it through his head that that meant being there for them as much as it meant taking a bullet in battle.

Tony gently kissed Steve’s shoulder, and rested his head in the crook of the soldier’s neck before handing him Peter.

For once Steve’s doubt was far from his mind.

Peter stopped crying.

“I knew it,” Tony said as he watched Steve take in the tiny miracle in his arms, “I read article after article telling me to feed him, take him on a car ride, make sure he had direct skin to skin contact, I even had Bruce take a look at him to make sure he wasn’t ill. But I knew all he needed to stop crying was you.”

Steve tore his eyes away from the sleeping baby in his arms to his sleeping lover in his arms, his heart incredibly full. Steve kissed Tony’s forehead as he held them both close.

“Well,” he murmured, nice and gently, “they don’t call you a genius for nothing.”

Tony smiled into Steve’s skin, “Don’t you forget it.”

That night as Steve put Peter and Tony to bed, a realization hit him. He knew they couldn’t keep Peter like this, not that he wanted the boy to stay a baby forever, but he knew what he did want.

He wanted a family. He wanted him and Tony with a bundle of little feet chasing them around wherever they went, he wanted his friends downstairs to turn into Uncles and Aunts, he wanted Peter coming over on the weekends to babysit, he wanted to be a father and share that gift with Tony.

He looked at Tony’s sleeping face and the baby nestled in between their chests, and he fell asleep dreaming of their new future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr at kca1516!!! Thanks as always for reading

**Author's Note:**

> Hey I made a tumblr account finally come join me, I post about the fics I write, when im updating or why its been a while since ive updated, and also for more stony and fandom content the username is the same as this one (kca1516)  
hope you enjoyed the read


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